500 Metacycles
by CatsPrivateBedroom
Summary: You'd think you'd know everything after 500 metacycles. Guess not. JxP Rated T for mild-medium violence and implied themes and content.


**Hope you all have been enjoying all the stories. Here is story 5 of 6. This story is a one shot. Please R and R.**

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><p><strong>Units Of Time As I Use Them:<strong>

**Nano-klick: Second**

**Klick: Minute**

**Cycle: Hour**

**Joor: Day**

**Orn: Week**

**Groon: Month**

**Metacycle: Year**

**:Comm link:**

**::Bonded talk::**

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><p>Jazz stumbled from the bar, back to base and then in to his quarters without being noticed and he was thankful for that. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, nor did he think he could have talked to anyone even IF he was in the mood. He had been drinking high grade. He was trying to forget what had happened a few joors ago and was trying to numb the pain... He went in to his wash racks and looked in the mirror. He winced as he touched his shoulder joint.<p>

The saboteur knew that he should go to see Ratchet to get his arm fixed but he didn't want to be asked any questions. He hadn't been on a mission, so he couldn't tell him that. He didn't want to talk about what had happened.

He had left base with some time off and was due back in the morning. He knew that until he got his arm fixed he wouldn't be allowed to transform. It's not that someone would try to stop him. It was the fact that IF he tried to transform, he would make his injury worse and be in even more pain. He would just have to be stuck with his pedes instead of his wheels, for now.

Sighing, he left his wash racks and climbed on to his berth. He tried to get comfortable since he couldn't lay the way he normally did. Not until his shoulder healed, that is. He eventually managed to drift off into recharge.

"Ow! You are hurting me!" The small bot yelled.

Jazz turned in his recharge and subconsciously whined in pain as his injured shoulder touched the berth.

"Poor little mech... Go cry and complain to someone who gives a frag."

The smaller mech continued to struggle and screamed when the bigger bot had managed to tear his arm off.

Jazz awoke with a start and his optics flickered to life. He searched the room in a panic, but he calmed down a little as he realized he was in his quarters at the autobot base. He sighed as he climbed out of his berth. He looked around the room for something to keep himself busy. Realizing nothing in his quarters would do that, he left.

After leaving his quarters, he decided to go to his office. If he couldn't recharge and couldn't find something in his quarters to keep his mind in the present moment, then at least he would try to get some work done. At least that would keep him in the present moment.

After working for 2 cycles he decided to take a break. He stood up and started at the wall behind his desk. He was too deep in thought that he didn't even hear his office door open. "Jazz?"

The TIC turned around and was a little surprised to see the SIC standing there. Sighing, he gave his friend the best smile he could before asking, "What can I do for you, Prowl?"

"You can start with dropping the act and tell me what's wrong."

"Excuse me?" The saboteur was now confused. "Drop what act?"

The tactician folded his arms. "Oh come on, Jazz. I have known you for 500 metacycles. I should know your "acting" skills by now. You should be in recharge."

Jazz tried to change the subject. "So should you."

The door winged mech raised an optic ridge. "No. I have had the late shift for a few joors now."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, so no more excuses. Why are you not in recharge?"

Jazz thought for a moment. "Wait... Why are you here?"

Prowl sighed as he handed his friend a data pad. "You asked me to look this over and to return it to you when I was finished. I figured instead of trying to find you after my shift ended and before yours started... I figured I would just leave it on your desk and you would see it when you came in later today."

"Ah..."

"I woke up from recharge early and decided to get some "overdue" work done."

Prowl didn't seem to buy what Jazz was saying but he didn't press the issue any further. Instead he chose to remind him of their promise to each other when they had become good friends. "When you are ready to talk about what ever may be bothering you or if you need some advice, you know where to find me. I will always make time for you Jazz."

Jazz felt the pain creep back up on him and this time he was not able "will" it away and his discomfort was clear on his face. "Jazz?" He slid to the floor and sobbed, holding his shoulder joint tightly. Prowl went right over and sat on the ground next to him. "Jazz? What is wrong?" He went to touch Jazz's shoulder and the saboteur pulled away, putting strain on his shoulder as he did so, causing him to cry out.

"Primus Jazz! What is-" But Prowl didn't need to say anything else. Because he could see what was wrong. He could feel anger toward whatever or whoever had hurt Jazz, building up. "It takes a lot of force to rip one of our limbs off. What ripped your arm off?" The TIC continued to say nothing. "Fine. I'll comm Prime and Ratchet."

"No! Please don't!"

"You need to tell me what happened!"

"I can't... He will kill me."

Prowl looked at his friend in shock. Jazz, their fearless saboteur was now sitting in a corner of his office in fear of something or someone.

He sighed and picked up his friend. "I won't say anything to Prime. But I need to get you to Ratchet. If your arm doesn't get fixed it will continue to hurt and it will only get worse." Jazz only nodded. The SIC carried the visored mech down the hall and into the med bay. The med bay doors opened and Ratchet was just finishing put new tools away.

Ratchet grumbled as he heard his med bay doors open. "For Primus sake! Can't I get one joor of peace and quiet?"

"Jazz is hurt, Ratch. He had his arm torn off and it was temporarily put back on." Prowl put Jazz back down as he waited for the medic to say something.

The medic turned around saying nothing. He came toward the two and inspected the damage. "What the slag! How in the frag did you manage that one?!"

Defending his friend and hoping Jazz would trust him, he opened his mouth even though he didn't have all the facts himself. "We were sparing and I pushed a little too hard. His arm got stuck and he pulled. As his friend, I tried to help him and well as you can see... his arm came off. He managed to re-attach it. Or so he thought."

Ratchet sighed. "This is going to hurt. I can put you under if-"

"No. Just do it."

The medic raised an optic ridge, "You sure?"

Jazz turned so that his good arm was touching his friend. "Don't let go, Prowl."

Holding the mech's waist and good servo, the door winged mech smiled softly. "I won't."

"Good. Do it, Ratchet. Do it now, before I change my mind."

"Okay... On the count of 3..."

"1" Jazz took a deep breath.

"2" Jazz shuttered his optics.

"3" Jazz yelped and screamed as the medic tore his arm off. He squeezed Prowl's servo tight but never felt the mech flinch.

The saboteur sent a private comm to his friend. :You okay, Prowl?:

:I am, are you?:

:As good as can be expected. Are you sure I didn't hurt you?:

:I've had worse done to me, Jazz. I promise that I am fine.:

"Are you even paying attention?"

The visored mech looked up. "Pardon?"

"I asked if you were crazy enough to have your arm re-attached awake or if you want me to put you under."

"Do it now. I can recharge later."

The medic scoffed. "You special ops mech really are insane." Jazz winced and whined when his arm got re-attached. "Okay, No duty. Berth rest only."

Jazz groaned. "How long?"

"Till I say so?" The medic smirked.

"I will come in here and bug you all joor, every joor."

Ratchet sighed. "I wish I could say that you could do light duty but I don't trust that you would stick to that. Nor do I know anyone who would have the patience to watch you constantly."

"I would. I will keep an optic on him."

"You sure, Prowl?"

"I am."

The medic nodded. "Off you two go then." Ratchet didn't wait for a response. He went back to his office to finish his reports.

Prowl and Jazz left med bay and wondered down the hall and in to Prowl's office. "So... Are you going to tell me what happened to your arm?"

"Speaking of that..."

"Don't think of changing the subject."

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours. Deal?"

"Fine. What is your question?"

"You didn't have all the facts and even what you did know... You didn't tell Ratchet. My question is why, I suppose. Why lie to him?"

"You are my friend Jazz. Besides... I didn't really have much to tell him. The only thing I know, for a fact, that I lied about was that I was the cause of your injured arm. For all I know you could have been sparring with some bot."

"True. However, I wasn't sparring. What happened to my arm, was the result of a very... BAD disagreement."

"And?"

"And what?"

"If there was a disagreement that tells me that SOMEONE ripped your arm off, not something. But that still doesn't answer the rest of my questions." The Tactician noticed that a pained look was currently on his friends face.

"What kind of questions?"

"Who broke your arm?"

"I can't tell you."

"Do I know the bot?"

"I can't tell you."

"I'll take that as a yes. How long had your arm been damaged before I found you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Were you on a top secret mission?"

"No."

"Then you can tell me."

Jazz sighed. "I came back last night since I was supposed to be on shift in 10 cycles. But it was about a joor into my time off, that the injury happened."

"How long was your time off?"

"4 joors."

"You had three joors... Why did it take you so long to come back to see Ratchet? Were you that far away?"

"I can't transform with a busted arm. I had to walk back. However, I had spent about 4 cycles a bar before I came back. I had been drinking high grade. I went back to my quarters to get some recharge. I managed to get a couple of cycles of recharge." Jazz started to stutter as he tried to will the memories away. "...T-that... t-that... is when you found me in my office." The TIC could feel the tears streaming down his face. "I should go back to my quarters and get some more recharge..."

"One last question and then I will let you go, okay?"

The saboteur said nothing, just looked at his friend with tears streaming down his face and look of fear mixed with pain in his optics. "What was your disagreement about?"

The visored mech choked on a sob. "You. The disagreement was about you." With that he fled the room.

Prowl knew Jazz was broken, but after seeing the TIC run out of the room like that... The SIC had just realized exactly HOW broken his friend truly was and the sight made his spark break.

Prowl sighed and went back to work. Every part of the tactician wanted to run after his friend. But he knew that it was no use. He had clearly upset Jazz.

:Prime to Prowl.:

:Prowl here.:

:Do you know where Jazz is?:

:He went back to his quarters for recharge. Why? Is he in some sort of trouble?:

:No. I wanted to talk to you but I didn't want Jazz to be around to hear it.:

Prowl half groaned, half growled. Of course Ratchet would tell Prime.

:You really want to talk over a comm link?:

:No. But I didn't want to walk in to your office and chance that Jazz was there. Are you free right now?

:I suppose so. But you know I am still on duty, right?:

:I do. Can you come to my office?:

:Sure. On my way.:

With that the comm was cut. "SLAG!" the SIC was mad. He should have known that Ratchet would tell Prime. He sighed heavily and walked to Optimus' office. He knocked before he entered.

Upon entering, his fear was confirmed. Ratchet was in the office, standing off to the side.

"Ratchet has just brought me some... Startling news." Prowl raised an optic ridge and Prime continued. "Apparently you brought Jazz in with a broken arm about 30 klicks ago."

"That is correct."

"Ratchet tells me that the two of you were sparring and in trying to help him. His arm came off."

Prowl looked at the medic. "You couldn't keep your fragging mouth slagging shut, could you!?"

Both Prime and Ratchet looked at the SIC in shock. Neither had heard him talk like that, ever.

"Tell Prime exactly what you told me."

"No. I don't think it is anyone's business."

"Tell him."

"Make me."

"Fine, I'll tell him EXACTLY what you said."

Prowl smirked. "Go ahead. Lie to Prime."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

Prime watched as the two mechs continued to argue.

"If you tell Prime EXACTLY what I told you. You would be lying to him."

"How dare you lie to me!?"

"ENOUGH! Both of you! Prowl... If Jazz is in to something that is illegal or if he is being reckless, I need to know."

"It's not that Prime. If that were that, I would have already told you."

Ratchet seemed hurt. "Prowl... Why would you lie to me?"

"Ratchet... Please believe me when I say, that I didn't lie to you on purpose."

"Why lie at all?"

"Because I didn't have all the facts. All I had was a friend with a broken arm and with no clue as to how it happened."

"Prowl... I need you to tell us both what you know."

"He will hate me."

"Prowl, whatever you say in this office will STAY in this office."

The tactician sighed. "Before leaving for his time off, Jazz had left a data pad on my desk. He left a note asking if I could look it over and that we could discuss it, when he got back. The data pad was confusing at times so I decided to stop for a while and think about what I could understand. Just before my shift tonight, I had finally finished the data pad. I was going to take it to Jazz at the end of my shift. However, before I could even start my shift, before I could start on the pile of data pads on my desk, I was called away. I ended up 4 doors away from Jazz's office. I figured that once I was done, I would just drop it off in Jazz's office, instead of hunting him down after my shift."

"What does this have to do with Jazz's arm?"

"I'm getting to it Ratchet. You are impatient as always. Anyway, when I entered Jazz's office he was facing away from me. I don't even think he heard me call out to him at first. I didn't know anything was wrong at first. Eventually he couldn't handle the pain that was clear on his face. I tried to put my servo on his shoulder but he jerked away and that is when I noticed the problem with his arm."

"Did he tell you how he got it?"

"Got what?"

"The busted shoulder joint, you fragging rust bolt."

The tactician ignored the name calling and responded, "I didn't know anything more until AFTER we left the med bay. To make a long story short., the only thing I know for sure is that his arm was torn off because of bad disagreement he had with some bot, off base."

"That is all you know?"

"Yes, Ratchet."

"How is that, all you know? I think there is something you aren't telling us."

Prime was about to tell Ratchet to back off, but his SIC spoke first.

"Slaggit! You know what Ratchet?! I bet this is EXACTLY why Jazz didn't come to you. He didn't want you asking him so many questions. You want to know why I got so few answers out of him? It was because he RAN out of my office crying! There is NOTHING I know for FACT that I am hiding from you!" Prowl stormed out of the office.

:Get off of me!: The tactician realized that it was his best friend who was coming him.

:Jazz?:

:You are hurting me! Please stop!: The door winged mech ran down the hall and raced in to Jazz's quarters. Prowl turned the lights on. His door wings weren't picking up any presences other then Jazz. Prowl entered Jazz's berth room and saw Jazz tossing and turning on his berth. He sat down next to him and pulled him close.

"Jazz... wake up. It's just a dream."

Jazz woke up, shot up and was ready to defend himself.

"You really want to kill your best friend?"

The visored mech's visor flicked to life. "Prowl? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm not sure HOW you did it. But you managed to comm me during your nightmare. I originally thought someone was in here hurting you, so I came running."

Jazz broke in to sobs and he clung to Prowl. "Make it stop. Please make it stop." Prowl gently rubbed the TIC's back.

"Primus Jazz…" Prowl gathered the mech in to arm. "You need to tell me what is wrong."

"I can't!" The smaller mech sobbed.

"Yes, you can. I know you can. I need you to trust in our 500 metacycle friendship and tell me what has you so hurt, broken and scared." The SIC waited for Jazz to say something but the mech just sobbed. "Would it make it easier if I tell you what I have pieced together and you can fill in the blanks?"

The TIC nodded his helm.

"I read the data pad you left for me. It was a little confusing at times but I managed to finish it. Everything that I didn't understand fell in to place when we talked in my office after Ratchet fixed your arm. The data pad… you were trying to tell me how you felt. If I understand correctly, you were trying to tell me that you are in love with me. Am I right?"

The saboteur nodded. "Good. Before you start to panic… I… I… feel the same way… I… I just didn't know how to tell you and I knew for a fact that you were in a relationship with a bot at the time. So until I got the data pad, I kept my mouth shut. You told me that the injury to your arm was the result of a bad disagreement. You also told me that the argument was about me. So, correct me if I am wrong, but I'm thinking that the argument was you telling the bot that the relationship between the two of you was over. You had decided to move on and based on your injury. I can see that it didn't end well."

"You are right."

"There is just couple of minor details I couldn't figure out. I was hoping you could help me with those."

"I will try."

"Why me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why leave whoever you were with for me?"

"Because I know that you won't break my arm."

"I won't even think about it. But there has to be more of a reason."

"You are an autobot."

"You were dating a decepticon?!"

"No! Of course not! THAT is plain stupid! I was dating a neutral."

"Jazz you could have been-. Wait did you say neutral?" The visored mech nodded. "But… there aren't any neutrals left."

"Yes, there is."

"How many?"

"150, maybe 200. What was the other thing you couldn't figure out?"

"I don't know who busted your arm. Based off your response in my office I "know" the bot. But I know a lot of bots. But none of them are neutrals."

"Yes, you do."

"I do?"

Jazz took a deep breath and hugged Prowl not daring to let go. "Do you remember Streets?"

"Yeah, he was my last partner I had before I joined up with Optimus' team. If I remember right, he had a sister named Courts. But both he and Courts died metacycles ago."

"They also had a baby brother at the time. His name was Avenue. As he got older, his friends called him AV. He was good with audio and visuals. He repairs broken electronic equipment for a living. That was how I first met him. He fixed up my sound system after the twins blew it up in their one of their pranks. We got along, talked for a while. He was in to it. I wasn't, but he didn't force me. I had my sights on you but you didn't clue in to any of my hints or advances over the metacycles. So I figured it couldn't hurt. I couldn't have been more wrong."

"You ended it, right?"

"Yeah. I ended up with the bust shoulder joint, remember? I think what I find more shocking is that even though I have loved you for so long. It took me so long to tell you how I felt."

"Jazz… You need to know something."

"Hm?"

"Remember how you said that I didn't get any of your hints or your advances?"

"Yeah. I thought it was just you being taken over by your work."

"No. I've only been in one relationship before."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah. I was hurt badly and it lasted about 6 groons, give or take. I decided that I would live alone. I didn't care to be hurt like that again. I never cared for another bot until I met you."

"How long ago was the relationship ended?"

"It ended just before I graduated from the academy."

"Wait… How old are you? I mean I've known you for 500 metacycles."

"I'll be 750 metacycles old in 9 groons. Why? Does age matter to you?"

"Nope. Not at all. In fact, it is a turn on when the bot I date is older than me."

"Wait. I'm older then you? By how much?"

"About 50 metacycles give or take. I'll be 700 in 10 groons."

Prowl pulled Jazz in to a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Hey Jazz?"

"Hm?"

"I want to make you a promise."

Jazz looked into his new lover's optics. "What's wrong?"

"You will be the last one for me."

Jazz raised an optic ridge. "That isn't a promise. That is a statement."

Prowl smiled a little and laughed. "I know. But that wasn't my promise. My promise to you is this, I will love you forever. But let us start with another 500 metacycles."

"That is a long time. That would require us to eventually bond. Don't make a promise you can't keep."

"I would bond with you right now if I thought you were ready. THAT is how serious I am."

"Then let's bond, right now. I've wanted nothing more in the last 500 metacycles."

The door winged mech smiled again. "Well then, I guess I have a lot of time to make up for. Let's start now." The two bots laid in the berth thinking about forever.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed. <strong>

**Until Next Time,**

**~CatsPrivateBedroom**


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